Samuel E. Dale

Samuel Eugene Dale passed away peacefully on October 30, 2018. He was born November 9, 1933, in Calidonia , Mississippi , and was the only child of Samuel E. Dale and Mary Lazelle Keating. Sam joined the Air Force after graduating from Columbus High School and proudly served his country during his six-year enlistment term in a number of places, including Iowa , Florida , England and Canada . After leaving the Air Force, Sam worked for AMF and managed a number of bowling alleys in Houston . He then worked as a computer engineer for Dow Chemical from 1968 until his retirement in 1987. Following his retirement, he purchased a chicken farm in Evansville , Arkansas . In 2001, Sam moved to Texas to be closer to his family.

Sam’s passion in retirement was his birds. He thoroughly enjoyed attending bird conventions where he would add to his collection and expand his group of friends. Sam was very proud of his assortment of feathered friends and was especially fond of George, a parrot he had for 42 years. Sam also was an avid coin collector and enjoyed researching his ancestry.

Sam was fiercely independent and, just like Frank Sinatra, always did things his way, even in the end. Sam is survived by his daughters: Renee Koch of Bellaire, Texas; Sharon (Mike) Oller of The Woodlands, Texas; and Patricia Dale of Houston, Texas; and nine grandchildren – Zack, Josh, Tori, Hayley, Adam, Jake, Luke, Hannah and Abbey – all of whom he loved dearly.

Sam is on his final flight back to Caledonia , Mississippi , where he will be the last male member of the Dale family to be laid to rest at Egger Cemetery . Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on November 12, 2018, at Caledonia United Methodist Church , 811 Main Street , with Rev. Charity Gordon officiating. Sam’s grandsons will serve as his pall bearers.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Shriner’s Hospital for Children - Houston, one of Sam’s favorite charities, at shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/shc/donate .